lindeman



Jan. 19, 1954 E. H. LINDEMAN LEAF SPRING STRUCTURE INVENTOR.

EDWARD H. I INDEMAN ATTORNEYS Filed June 11, 1949 i V invention vre 0fthe t0n plan, View e? NT oFF'IcE -r LltAE-SPRING STRUCTURE Edward'llglneina, Detroit,Mich.,las'sig1-1ovr to Eaton Manufacturing Company,Cleveland,

Ohioya corporation of Ohiojl` A npplicationaunen, 1949,- serial No.98,510

" 2`c1anas. (claw-'lay' Visioiwf leef #primarie Iinsl prileaflffel #Sewith grooved leaf springsyhavingnagribnear one end adapted to bereceived i the'grcovedpor- -tion; 'of' one spring leaf and its'otherlend adapted to bel rigidly secured tothe adjacentspaced leafSpring- An object ofthe invention isfthe provision of'a simple andeconomicallyjproduced le'afspring,Y

tip spacer thatiseffectiveinuse. y

' Another object ofthe invention is' the provisionof a leafspring'spacerstamped, molded or the like from'plastid orA` like material having vagenerally `flat vrectangular shape r"with 1a ribj e'xl tending from 'one'ofits flat faces near one end and having an'openin'g throughthe'facedisposed fromthe'rib nearer tsfother end;

A further object of the invention is the provision of a leaf spring tipspacer forwuse with grooved type spring `leaves adapted;-t'o-p'reventsqueaks and maintain uniform 'friction there- 'betweenj underfall`weather'Y conditions, said spacers incorporating structureoperable;jointly lwith thespring leaves to prevent either the longitudinaly orsidew'ays j'motion' vthereof while at the same time -permittingof'thelongitudinal relative 1 motion between-:adjacent spring leaves when theyarenexed; i l# iA further object ofthe invention is" the provision of aleaffspring-tipfliner orlspacer made.

from a material'foflowizoeicient ofrfriction having goodabrasionfrf'wear resisting properties and of aristruc'turepermitting ofease of installation and-` removal 'from assemblybetween the tips ofadjacent springvfleave's without necessity of` removing thespringa4einlcbl'yfrom its associated Vehic1e. j Otherjandffurth ijrp 'tantobjects andt ad- L lThe presentlydevised leaf spring spacerI is believedto be amarked improvementover previously devised and used spacers inthat through y the combined utilization of suitable materialand ,simpleconstruction a spacer of economical production and effective in use ascompared to-other spacers is provided. yBy selecting a materialhaving alow coeflicient of friction and good abrasive or wear resistingproperties that-canbemolded, pressed, stamped or the like of plasticorvsimilar 'material a" simple spacer of general flat rectangular shapecan be produced having a' rib formed Aonone face" extendinglongitudinally of the spacer near one 'end thereofj and-la hole through.the spacer nearer its other end along theV longitudinalv'a'xis oftherib. The rib isA normally pressedgfrom the hat stock of which the spaceris made, thus providinga recess inthe opposite facsofihe spacer;

In the assemblyo'f'thespacers between the adjacent tips of spring leavesformingfa'nestled spring assembly wherein the leaves arefof the typemade'from grooved section stock thefrib is received in close 'fittingconformity in accordance with predeterm'infedv size requirement-,s withtheY spacer extending longitudinally with the spring leavesand with thespacerxedly secured tothe next' adjacent spring' leaf from thatginleaves as they are'ii'e'xed by a loadappled'thereto vantagesof thisinventionwill be apparent from Vthe following description taken inVconnection with the drawingsforniinga partof the specificationandiniwhch;

Fig.l 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantiallyalong'lines I-p-I of Fi'g3of a groovedleaf 'spring' assembly .having 1 eijspring tip' spacers forming llie'basis` of the linventionincorporatedthereimiand Figfg is a fragmentar c cut away view Fig. 3 isa cross-sectlonal viewtakefsubstantially along lines 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the leaf spring tip spacer or linerincorporated in the assembly of Figs. 1 through 3 ;A and U1een-6 'springleave without frictional ,contact'therebetween'with the 'spacersyrestrained from either. sideways'or' longitudinal movement outo'ffth'eirestahlishedpositionat the completion o'rf'fa'nyflexngirio'tionfk l Because'of the" predetermined 'provision for making thevspacers offaA material having fa'low coefiicient of friction andvgood'abrasiveand wearresisting vpropertiesy the "spring leaves kcanmove relatively'longitudinally to onejanfother ,with a minimum' cf;`squeaking and uniform' friction therebetween under L all' c' conditionsof Weather.

` Through the'niaintenance of vuniform friction. by

v`"the` v interpositio i he spacers between' adja pring covers 'normallyused to'prevent the dlrt'or other foreign matter from entering thespring assembly can be dispensed wi h.y

Referring to the drawings rfor more specic arranged `between adjacentleaves near the end of one leaf.

The spring assembly as shown is heldetogether by a clamp assembly I6embra gthe aadaeentbly arranged leaves and spacers' The spring leaves I2as viewed cross-'sectionagll-y reference being had to Fig. 3 areprovided with grooves I8 running longitudinally: the"flll-`length of theseparate leaves and the leaves are-sc adjacently arranged with thegrooves disposed fr'xn one another. s

f Ifhe tip spacers orf linears1 l--are each `-rnade foi jsuehe a'llengthjas*I to extendfr'"om a'-- point at Iorabeyond'; of {one leafflongitudinally 1in"- Awww wenn r.ediiwen'ffleaf a-Lsumcient @istante'fsasioffQrd ampleibflaine Sueclin thnor- 'Amal -o'p 'ationalilexingaction between the' `vreeeti a ent leaves'andprovides;v ribf'2/0`of edwidth-approximately thewidth roove I; 8 adapted to bereceived'thereinand 'y c2221longitudinally-disposed from the ribinflies-1 thewithffer fr'eipt .'Qfafastener 2141 oi .any suitable makesoAas to'securethe spacer 'tofthe j-lea near .whose-'tip' 'it is-located.Thefastener "'F'ah Slffflg'` af melting" with' 1101.912 ini/the 'rfwithonv uendsportion*'thereof `protru ngy `he` soo'vfl Blof, thenextdiabentleaf t agreeing yQutof ,interferene with'the" Y'anywayponvrelativelon'gitu j d Qf the spring leaves tweeen@ j f-lustratimiftheadapt bility' ofthe, spacxsto ,e pring leaves 't's'toberrote'dthatjaastener .24,15 usedvfmbndlvito ,seeureztheelamp asi Lsemblvtoethespring? aSSemblv Awell asl ,secure ert one'ofjthe/:spring leaves.'

` Iny thejc'asei of being, ,formed 1 e mannerlpfroml'flat l .1 c .es'sintheotnerfaee aid rib" beinggenerailly rectangular d xtending' itsgreaterjlength One such material has been found in plastics of the nylontype. f

Inasmuch as the spacers 24 can be formed or made in several well knownmanners of a great 5 variety of materials effective to provide the del ied results thajnvention is es Miur@ believed ,towbasically f cenas' toits design, application" andxretention" to and between `the adjacentspring leaves with which it is to be associated and accordingly theinvention is lim- "4havigiatilongitudinal groove in its surface exipgthelength thereof, a spacer comprising `=ri"'l"ngated relatively` at stripof material inetween adjacent spring leaves having alintgauy therewith0fequaiftmckyerfportions' ofA the spacer extend- $11511 a pQfiOn". of*its length 0pf l the rib spaced v a snel-@er eIQm. pelendvof thespacerthan'the ib risgspaced,from the .opposite termediate t ef th@Ger-fri .,rleire in er of; generally rectangu- Qrenese@frarelatirelyiatistnpfof @miem if -ffrictgn and s having ,-,asubstantially nefsurfacethereof fvrtQmreQ n, medenzits @moeite ecesslying medially of surface, saidP rib and r hereofspaced `a shorterdiskend ptthe, Seeger-than the, other from lhefoppl, .end

n spaced from the rib and recess and ly/ linerther-.eritbgniesiiell-0fthewidththespa -Number

